HDNet to Carry Kim Couture's Fight Debut on Feb. 29

HDNet will air the fight debut of Kim Couture as part of a special broadcast about Xtreme Couture “smokers,” the high-definition cable station announced on Monday.

Couture, the president of Xtreme Couture and the wife of UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture, will compete in a Muay Thai smoker against a fellow rookie female fighter on Feb. 23. HDNet will carry that fight — and up to seven other bouts — as part of a Feb. 29 broadcast that will follow a live International Fight League event.

Last month, Ron Kruk of HDNet’s “Inside MMA” program was the first to report that Couture, 33, would make her fight debut. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) interviewed Couture, a training partner of famed female fighter Gina Carano, soon after the report.

“I’m just going to have fun with it,” Couture told MMAjunkie.com. “I run all of the businesses, so it’s a good stress-reliever for me. I train when I have time, but now, I’m arranging my business around my training. I’m ready to have fun. I don’t know what to expect. With MMA fights, the guys can look up tapes. There’s no tape on us girls. We just know about each other from word of mouth.”

Many other amateur fighters who train at Xtreme Couture will also compete at the event. Each fight will use three two-minute rounds. “Smokers” are usually held so that newbie fighters can gain real-world experience in front of a live crowd (usually comprised of family and friends) in a safe environment.

“We’re looking forward to carrying this event exclusively,” HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon stated in Monday’s release. “This event will give fans insight into where it all starts for fighters. Earlier in the evening we will broadcast the live IFL event taking place in front of 6,000 fans, and then we’ll show the contrast by going to the Smoker at Xtreme Couture in front of 300 fans. And, for the many fighters making their debut at the Smoker, including Kim Couture, this is their chance to shine on national TV.”

Kim Couture, Randy Couture and Carano will all be guests on this week’s edition of “Inside MMA,” a one-hour MMA program that airs Fridays at 9:30 p.m. ET on HDNet.

From Our Partners

The Latest

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is probably the greatest female fighter on the planet, which is a tremendous feat. So why are we seemingly so obsessed with arguing about whether she could beat up men?